CHAPTER 9: | FUSION
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Minutes bled into hours as I stared at the shimmering holographic display of 'Grotesque Physique,' its spectral text a stark contrast against the dim cavern.
My gaze then flickered to the list of my own meager skills, a faint metallic taste lingering in my maw from my last meal.
The problem was, I didn't have skills of the same type, be it passive or active.
And I didn't want to mess up my skill fusion by randomly combining them, hoping for some overpowered ability.
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[Grotesque Physique [Unique]]
A Grotesque Physique, warped by an unknown force from the Whark's biology, lets you absorb external abilities (skills not native to your race). These skills permanently lose their growth path, becoming fixed internal components. They're categorized by Ascension, reflecting their integration as adaptable physical components. Compatible skills fuse into layered bodily alterations. This living physique constantly redefines your body with each absorption and fusion.
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I dismissed the hologram before me with a decisive flap of my tail.
My gaze fixated on the 'Feral Gorefang' ahead.
Its predatory gaze swept across the vast, echoing expanse, tracing the jagged silhouettes of mountain-like columns and sheer cliffs as it searched for prey.
My gaze darted across the immediate surroundings, a low hum vibrating in my bones, as I pondered whether I could finish it off before any other Whark found this secluded place.
A predatory grin stretched across my lips, my form rippling into a haze before blurring into an indistinct streak.
A viscous, glowing saliva, faintly burning as it left my maw, infused the water around me with a soft hiss as 'Thorn Spittle' activated.
The lone 'Feral Gorefang' thrashed, its powerful body spasming.
The potent acid seared its tough hide with ease, sizzling as a faint, acrid smoke rose from its dissolving flesh.
Then a low, guttural shriek tore from its throat as the agonizing bite of the corrosive liquid struck deep into its nerves.
The Gorefang slammed its body into the cliff face, sending debris and blood erupting into a crimson fog.
Then it sensed something was wrong, that something watched from afar.
Following its instincts, it vanished, reappearing inches away from me.
Its maw latched onto my left fin.
Its thick, muscular jaw locked as it pulled, twisted its body, trying every method available to rip it apart.
But it was futile, since it didn't have a monster core to enhance its razor-sharp teeth with mana, nor was it physically superior to mine.
Licking my lips, I opened my maw and sank my fangs into its head, then with a twist.
Splash!
Blood exploded as its head was torn apart.
Then I applied crushing pressure to my jaw, crushing its skull.
Crash!
Its skull exploded from the immense pressure, and its brain, now a goo, splattered.
Satisfaction stretched across my face.
I couldn't help but contemplate that even without my 'Devouring Maw' activated, my jaw strength alone was now enough to crush it.
I tasted the sweet, coppery blood and brain matter, and let out a chuckle.
Now, with my renewed strength, a mere Stage 1 monster without a core was no match for me.
A hologram shimmered into existence as I licked my lips.
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[You have slain.]
• S: 1 | T: 1 | Level 2 | Feral Gorefang [2★]
[You have gained.]
[5,000 - EXP.]
[You have gained a level.] x1
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[You have devoured.]
• S: 1 | T: 1 | Level 2 | Feral Gorefang [2★]
[You have gained.]
[+ 3 - Health.]
[+ 4 - Stamina.]
[+ 0.14 - Physique.]
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[Skills Devoured.]
• Gore Rend [Tier 2]
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[Grotesque Physique would like to devour these skills.]
• Gore Rend [Tier 2]
[Yes] / [No]
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Gore Rend [Active | Stamina - 5 | ▪︎]
A powerful, tearing bite attack that focuses on inflicting deep, ragged wounds designed to cause massive blood loss and internal trauma.
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The descriptions were quite intriguing, but now I would fuse these two skills, 'Devouring Maw' and 'Gore Rend,' to acquire a more powerful active ability.
I inhaled, then selected those skills in the fusion table, gazing at it for a second before nodding.
I clicked 'Yes.'
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[Would you fuse these skills?]
• Devouring Maw + Gore Rend
[Yes] / [No]
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[You have gained.]
• Sunder Maw [Ascension I]
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Sunder Maw [Active | 8 - Stamina | Ascension I | ▪︎]
This Ascension skill manifests as a devastating bite that simultaneously delivers immense crushing force and vicious tearing power. It effortlessly pulverizes tough defenses and inflicts severe, deep wounds, causing significant internal trauma and considerable blood loss, making it exceptionally effective at debilitating any target.
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Then I felt it, the subtle shift in my maw as it mutated.
New, stronger bone plates knitted beneath my scales, and my teeth elongated, sharpening into more formidable weapons.
I opened my maw, then snapped it close with a satisfied clack, letting out a low chuckle.
'Hahaha... the increase in power is more than three times!'
And with this new Ascension skill, perhaps reaching new heights won't be a dream, but a reality.
This 'Grotesque Physique' is truly compatible with me.
But still, my teeth are too weak to handle the biting force of my 'Sunder Maw.'
Just a few activations of it, and my teeth would fall apart from the immense pressure of my bite.
But it wouldn't be a problem if I could get an 'Ascension I' skill capable of withstanding it.
So I moved through the shadows, searching for a monster that possessed a passive skill related to teeth.
Then I felt a sudden, violent shift rip through the water, as a blur of darkness faster than my eyes could track flashed.
It vanished and reappeared in an instant, its maw already tearing at the behemoth I had encountered earlier.
The water churned and roared with each of its blistering movements, sending powerful shockwaves vibrating through my own body.
The behemoth, a colossal mass of stone-like armor, let out a deep, resonating bellow that echoed through the depths, a sound that filled me with primal terror and sent an icy chill down my spine.
I shivered, watching the one-sided fight unfold, the shadowy Whark utterly dominating this duel.
The behemoth, covered in granite-like armor, screeched, but was silenced as a straight, clean line appeared on its gills.
Splash!
Its head tilted, then blood gushed out, severing its head with ease.
That's when I truly saw it.
Its skin was a terrifying, ink-black void, absorbing what little light filtered down, making its sleek, hydrodynamic scales almost invisible.
A cold, prickling sensation, far more chilling than the frigid water, ran across my spine.
Its predatory irises were locked onto me.
They glowed briefly, showing pure killing intent, before its gaze flickered back to the carcass before it.
Its maw dug into the flesh, searching for something.
Seconds passed, and a pulsating, opalescent core, the size of a fist, shimmered into existence within its bloody maw.
A sickening crack echoed through the water as its jaws clamped down, crushing and devouring the glowing orb in one swift motion.
Before I could react, it disappeared in the next second.
That creature was probably only after the core, since devouring a monster's core could significantly increase one's mana reserve.
A wide smile curved onto my face as saliva dripped onto my lips.
Lucky!
My form flickered, and my maw slammed into the resilient flesh of the lord-class entity.
Its flesh was tough, dense and fibrous, but I devoured it whole.
Hours passed.
Then hologram flickered into existence as my lips curved into a satisfied smile.
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[You have devoured.]
• S: 1 | T: 1 | Obsidian Hulk [4★] x3
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[You have gained.]
[+ 4 - Health.]
[+ 7 - Stamina.]
[+ 0.24 - Physique.]
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[Skills Devoured.]
• Crushing Granite Bite [Tier 6]
• Granite Shell [Tier 5]
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[Grotesque Physique would like to devour these skills.]
• Crushing Granite Bite [Tier 6]
• Granite Shell [Tier 5]
[Yes] / [No]
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Crushing Granite Bite [Passive | ▪︎]
The Whark's powerful jaws are lined with rock-hard teeth that can splinter stone and shatter steel. Any creature grappling with or constricted by the Whark suffers continuous bludgeoning damage.
Granite Shell [Passive | ▪︎]
The Whark's granite covering provides exceptional protection, granting it significant resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. It is also immune to poison.
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